Indian climbers die on Nepal mountains

Kathmandu, May 17 : At least four Indian climbers have died during expeditions on the high mountains of Nepal, according to their hiking companies.

According to the reports here, two Indian climbers died near the summit of Mount Kanchenjunga during an expedition on the world's third highest mountain in Nepal, their hiking company said on Thursday.

The climbers were identified as 48-year-old Biplab Baidya, and 46-year-old Kuntal Kanrar, who died overnight at an altitude of about 8,000 metres (26,246 feet). Pasang Sherpa of the Peak Promotion hiking company said Baidya, who climbed the 8,586 metre (28,169 feet) Kanchenjunga main summit on Wednesday, died due to altitude sickness on the way down. Kanrar died while trying to climb the peak, he said. Both were from Kolkata.

Besides, at least least two Indian climbers died while descending from the summit of Mt Everest and Mt Makalu Thursday night, according to the expedition organiser.Mingma Sherpa, Chairman at Seven Summit Treks, confirmed that Narayan Singh, a member of the maiden Indian Army expedition to Mt Makalu breathed his last at the height of 8,200 metres when he, along with other members, was descending from the summit point on Thursday night.The Indian Army soldier died after he suffered from high altitude sickness on the descent, Sherpa quoted fellow climbers as saying.

Meanwhile, Ravi Thakar from India was found dead inside his tent at Camp IV on Mt Everest early Friday morning. “Fellow climbers found him dead inside the tent,” Sherpa said adding that Ravi was part of an eight-member expedition led by renowned Irish climber Noel Richard Hanna.

Ravi along with other members made it to the summit of Mt Everest on Thursday morning. Another member of the same expedition — Seamus Sean Lawless from Ireland — slipped from the balcony area while descending from the summit point. “Fate of the missing Irish climber is still unknown,” Sherpa said, according to The Himalayan Times report.Hundreds of climbers are on different Himalayan peaks during the spring climbing season which ends this month. (UNI)